9 Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining

For a sit-down meal, bring out indoor furniture. Surround a table with a mix of chairs or benches (left). The charming combination will put guests at ease and set a come-as-you-are attitude.

Or take cues from a picnic for an even more casual party. Spread blankets and pillows throughout the yard. Set a basket of simple eats and a bucket of cold drinks on each blanket, suggests Michigan native Katie Brown, author of Katie Brown's Outdoor Entertaining.

In addition to hefty dishes, use only windproof decor on tabletops. Instead of one centerpiece, line up weighted pots of flowers (left) or inexpensive pots of fresh herbs. Chalk names on river rocks as place cards, and clip on tablecloth weights.

Provide buckets of dollar-store sunglasses, bottles of sunscreen or an assortment of floppy hats (left) to combat the sun. For more shade, make a canopy by tying muslin to tree branches. If it's a chilly evening, supply shawls cut from inexpensive fabrics. "It's as if you had an outdoor concierge for your party," Katie says. "I try to think of what a great hotel would have for you, especially when dealing with weather."

Instead of a giant outdoor chess set, design a tic-tac-toe board (left), Katie says. Make a grid with rope. Secure with stakes if needed. Use natural objects such as rocks or flowers as the Os and sticks as the Xs.

Coat the yard with garlic spray or natural bug spray--instead of harsh chemicals--three days before and the morning of an event, Laura advises. Do it yourself for $30 (if you own a bug fogger), or hire someone for a couple hundred. Have bug spray (left) set up at a station at the party so guests can appreciate all your hard work and planning in comfort.

(A version of this story appeared in Midwest Living® July/August 2009.)